Name: Fish fillets baked in vine leaves with dill yoghurt sauce and fennel salad
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Wrapped fish; 4 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for cooking; 2 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoon chopped dill; 1 spring onion, finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 4 x 250g skinless tarakihi fillets; 8 large vine leaves, stems removed; Dill and yoghurt sauce; 250 millilitre plain Greek yoghurt; 1 tablespoon chopped dill; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; finely grated zest ½ lemon; white pepper; Fennel salad; 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and thinly shaved (reserve dill fronds to garnish); 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced; 4 mint leaves, thinly sliced, plus whole mint leaves to garnish; 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoon lemon juice

Fish fillets baked in vine leaves with dill yoghurt sauce and fennel salad

In this recipe, cooking fish in vine leaves keeps the fillets moist and juicy and imbues them with a unique flavour. Serve with a fresh fennel salad and plenty of creamy dill yoghurt sauce

Serves 4

Prep

45M

Cook

15M

Total

Photography by: Todd Eyre

Styling by: Lauren Freeman

This recipe was first published in Taste magazine.

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Ingredients

Wrapped fish

4 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for cooking

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoon chopped dill

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 x 250g skinless tarakihi fillets

8 large vine leaves, stems removed

Dill and yoghurt sauce

250 millilitre plain Greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

finely grated zest ½ lemon

white pepper

Fennel salad

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and thinly shaved (reserve dill fronds to garnish)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

4 mint leaves, thinly sliced, plus whole mint leaves to garnish

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1.In a small bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, spring onion and garlic, and mix well.

2.Place fish fillets on a plate or tray and evenly spread mixture on top.

3.Place two vine leaves side by side, overlapping each other, on a chopping board. Place a fish fillet along the bottom edge of the vine leaves and roll tightly into a cigar. Secure with three 10cm lengths of butcher’s twine or cotton string (not synthetic or plastic string) soaked in water. Repeat with remaining fillets and leaves and set aside.

4.For the yoghurt sauce, combine yoghurt, dill, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl. Season with white pepper and salt.

5.For the salad, place all ingredients, except the garnishes, in a small bowl. Mix well and season to taste.

6.Preheat a griddle pan or frying pan on high heat until smoking hot. Brush a little olive oil on each fish cigar and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until soft. Remove from heat and transfer to a chopping board.

7.To serve, place a generous amount of yoghurt sauce onto a serving plate and scatter some salad on top. Cut fish cigars into three pieces on a 45-degree angle and arrange on top of the salad. Scatter with whole mint leaves and the reserved dill fronds.

This recipe used tarakihi but snapper, gurnard or any similar white fish would be suitable. – Vine leaves can be found in most specialty food shops.

Note

Luca Villari

Ingredients

Method

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